46.2 The Verbs 知 zi1 and 知道 zi1 dou3 (‘to know’)
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The verbs 知 zi1 and 知道 zi1 dou3 mean ‘to know’ in the sense of ‘to have information’. We use 知 zi1 or 知道 zi1 dou3 to indicate that we know some information. We put the information after 知 zi1 or 知道 zi1 dou3.
To negate 知 zi1 or 知道 zi1 dou3, we put 唔 m4 before 知 zi1 or 知道 zi1 dou3.
We can use the X-not-X construction to form 知唔知 zi1 m4 zi1 or 知唔知道 zi1 m4 zi1 dou3, which mean ‘Do you know …?’. We put a question after 知唔知 zi1 m4 zi1 or 知唔知道 zi1 m4 zi1 dou3.
For positive answers, we can provide the information we know directly.
| A: | 你知唔知可以坐咩車去呀？ nei5 zi1 m4 zi1 ho2 ji5 co5 me1 ce1 heoi3 aa3? 你知唔知道可以坐咩車去呀？ nei5 zi1 m4 zi1 dou3 ho2 ji5 co5 me1 ce1 heoi3 aa3? Do you know what public transport I can take to go there? |
| B: | 你可以坐火車去。 nei5 ho2 ji5 co5 fo2 ce1 heoi3. You can take the train to go there. |
For negative answers, we can give a short answer, or say 我都唔知呀 ngo5 dou1 m4 zi1 aa3 or 我都唔知道呀 ngo5 dou1 m4 zi1 dou3 aa3 (‘I don’t know either’).
| A: | 你知唔知可以坐咩車去呀？ nei5 zi1 m4 zi1 ho2 ji5 co5 me1 ce1 heoi3 aa3? 你知唔知道可以坐咩車去呀？ nei5 zi1 m4 zi1 dou3 ho2 ji5 co5 me1 ce1 heoi3 aa3? Do you know what public transport I can take to go there? |
| B: | 唔知呀。 m4 zi1 aa3. 唔知道呀。 m4 zi1 dou3 aa3. No. 我都唔知呀。 ngo5 dou1 m4 zi1 aa3. 我都唔知道呀。 ngo5 dou1 m4 zi1 dou3 aa3. I don’t know either. |